Ministry Balls and Meetings
by xoxoKatexoxo
Summary: This was once a one shot, however I was asked by several people for a new chapter. Thus here it is. Everyone is grown up now, how will the relationships change?
1. Lady In Red

Lady In Red- Chris DeBurgh

Hope you like it. Kate xxxxxx

* * *

Draco hated going to the Ministry balls, they seemed so pointless and boring. The last one he had been to, everyone looked bored and no-one had had fun. He remembered back to the Yule Ball where he had had a little fun but his concentration that night had been disturbed by something, or someone. Pansy, who had been his date that night, had arrived with Blaise and came over to find Draco by the bar next to a woman the same age as him. A Ministry official came over to talk to Draco about the generous donation that had been made by the Malfoy family after the war. That had been eighteen years ago, yet people still went on about the ten and a half thousand Galleons that they had given the Ministry. Almost everyone had forgiven Draco for his part in the war after the donation had been leaked to the press. Almost everyone had forgotten that Draco had a mark burned onto his left forearm. Almost everyone still stared when he entered a room. There were still a few people who could not forgive him and it seemed to the world that Draco didn't care about it when in fact he did. He wanted to be forgiven. He had been a stupid child, forced by his parents into doing things, and then bragging about it. He wanted to be forgiven by these people but he knew that it wouldn't happen anytime soon.

Draco turned back to the barman and asked for a Firewhiskey. That was going to be one of the things that would liven up this party. The women had all come in dark colours which seemed rather depressing, in Draco's opinion. He turned back around to the party and saw Pansy and Blaise standing in front of him, expectantly. Pansy was six months pregnant with their fourth child, and they had also been forgiven by the press and the wizarding world. They too had made a generous donation, although not as big as the Malfoy's, and they had been forgiven. Pansy started talking and Draco was only half listening, and then his concentration completely switched off Pansy.

In stepped the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he had to do a double take. She looked amazing, She was wearing a cherry red dress that was made of chiffon material. It hung like a pillar down her body, hiding her feet, and made her look exceptionally slender and tall. Her hair was in curls and piled up on the back of her head, with tendrils hanging down. She looked like a Grecian goddess and Draco could have sworn that this was a completely new person. He knew different when he saw her escorts. Of course they would be together. The four of them were inseparable nowadays. Draco, if he hadn't of seen her weeks earlier, wouldn't have guessed that she had a daughter the same age as his son. As she glided across the floor, she turned and smiled to people, as Draco knew she would. Every male eye in the room was on her and she didn't seem to notice, or if she did, she was hiding it. Then, just like a herd of sheep, they flocked to her, wanting to be close enough to see the most beautiful woman in the room.

_I have never seen you looking so_

_Lovely as you did tonight_

_Never seen you shine so bright_

_I've never seen so many men_

_Asking if you wanted to dance_

_Looking for a little romance_

_Given half a chance._

Draco smiled to himself as he noticed that even Colin Creevey was standing on his tiptoes with his camera in hand, wanting to take a picture of her. Then Draco heard the most beautiful sound in the world. Her melodious laugh rang throughout the hall and everyone went silent, waiting to hear if she did it again. Her escort had offered to dance with her and she took his hand and allowed for him to help her up. The crowd of admirers parted and let the pair through. She moved like an angel and Draco longed to be the one leading her onto the dancefloor. She turned towards the gentleman and placed her hand in his and placed her other hand round his waist. The music started and she floated along with it, while the man bumbled along. Draco could see his mouth moving and grinned. He was counting the steps. Pansy looked where Draco was looking and then back to her best friend. The woman beside Draco also turned to see what Draco was looking at with intense concentration and when she saw who it was, she pouted. She wanted his attention so she tried talking to him, but she got no reply.

As the Venus glided along the dancefloor, Draco couldn't help but admire her some more. Her body was slender already, but that dress showed it off to be even more so. It was sleeveless and he saw that she had some shimmer on her tanned shoulders. He could imagine her trying to put it on. He shook his head at the thought and continued to look at her. Her hair was still the same colour but it had hints of gold in it, that he had never noticed before.

_I have never seen that dress your wearing_

_Or the highlights in your hair_

_That catch your eye_

_I have been blind_

It took a long time for the song to finish and Draco smiled as he saw her escort trip over whilst leading her back to the table where she had been seated. This was his chance. He downed the rest of the Firewhiskey and stalked over to the table where she was. The crowd parted when they noticed who was coming towards them, with determination on his face. She looked up startled when he asked her to dance, and even though her friends had told her not to be ridiculous, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor. She placed her arms in the same way as she had with her previous dance partner and Draco took them gingerly. He had never been more nervous in his life and it was a first for him.

The slow music started and he swept her across the wooden floor. She looked up at him and smiled, to which Draco became confused. She had never bothered to acknowledge him in the past, so why was she doing this for him now? He looked down and saw happiness and laughter in the caramel coloured eyes. They were different to the ones he was used to seeing every day. She pushed herself forward into his body and Draco felt warmth spread through his body. Even when she placed her head on his shoulders, the heat that came from her body would have been enough to melt the snow on the polar ice caps. For a few minutes, they were the only people that existed. Every Ministry official had disappeared, every disapproving face, gone. Even her friends had vanished. They were alone together and Draco longed to keep it that way.

_Lady in Red_

_Is dancing with me_

_Cheek to cheek_

_There's nobody here_

_Its just you and me_

_Its where I want to be_

_I hardly know _

_This beauty by my side_

_I'll never forget the way you look tonight_

As he dipped his head, he caught the scent of her perfume and he inhaled. It was the most intoxicating thing he had ever found. It smelt of cherries and vanilla, two of Draco's favourite food.

"You smell delicious!" he said before he could stop himself. 'What a stupid thing to say Draco!' he thought to himself before she answered.

"Its my shampoo!" she said smiling into his shoulder. Draco promised himself that he would go find where this shampoo was made and buy it in bulk. His heart beat wildly as she brushed her hair against his cheek as she turned her head to look at him. "You do know we are breaking all sorts of rules here!" she grinned and he smiled back. She was talking to him as if they had been friends for years instead of the years of hatred that had been passed between them. She smiled back at him, as if she knew he was thinking this, and Draco's breath was caught in the back of his throat. This amazing, flawless creature was here dancing with him, against the wishes of almost everyone. He silently scolded himself for being the stupid spoilt child that he had grown up to be, and how he had treated everyone. He should have been different at school, away from his parents. Then, maybe he could have been the one to escort her here. Maybe she would have been the mother of his child. However, he knew that there was no point in thinking about what should or could have been. It was the past and there was nothing he could do to change that.

_I have never seen you looking_

_So gorgeous as you did tonight_

_I've never seen you shine so bright_

_You were amazing_

_Never seen so many people want to be by your side_

_And when you turn to me and smile_

_It took my breath away_

_I've never had such a feeling _

_A feeling of complete and utter love_

_As I do tonight _

The slow and soft music started to stop and Draco wished with all his might that they continue for at least another minute. He would have paid all the money in the world for her to dance with him again but as the music started to stop, she pulled away from him and smiled.

"It has been…amazing Draco!" she said, and Draco could tell that she did in fact mean it.

"Thank you for dancing with me!" he said, quietly as he noticed that her escorts were coming towards her to dance.

"My pleasure" she smiled as one of them placed his hand around her waist, possessively. Draco wanted to curse this man on sight. Her previous dance partner turned and kissed her cheek and raised an eyebrow towards Draco. She, however, rolled her eyes at this display of affection. She wriggled out of his grasp and stepped back towards Draco. Reaching up on her tiptoes she kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Please come to my office on Monday!" before she was pulled away by the bumbling oaf next to her. Draco heard him telling her off for dancing with Draco and she dismissed him completely by telling him she would dance with whoever she wanted. Same girl he knew from school. She turned back and smiled at him while she sat down and she watched as he went back to the bar, with his friends, a smile playing on his lips.

_Lady in Red_

_Is dancing with me_

_Cheek to cheek_

_There's nobody here_

_Its just you and me_

_Its where I want to be_

_I hardly know _

_This beauty by my side_

_I'll never forget the way you look tonight_

_I will never forget the way you look tonight_

Draco reached the bar and stared at the woman who had just danced with him. She was still staring at him, smiling at him, while others went to buy her a drink, or get her a piece of cake. The woman at the bar next to him tried to get his attention again by talking to him but the cause was lost. His eyes and mind was still on the woman staring back at him.

_Lady in Red_

_Lady in Red_

_Lady in Red_

_My Lady in Red_

He turned to the woman beside him and raised an eyebrow. What had she been thinking wearing that? It was black and the slit down the middle of her chest, exposing most of her body.

"Come Astoria, we are leaving!" he said sharply and he strode off towards the exit with Astoria trotting along next to him. Silently he tried to communicate with Hermione, three simple words.

_I love you!_


	2. Dare You To Move

Hermione sat in her dimly lit office, eyes closed, thinking. Working for the Law Enforcement section of the Ministry was tough, even for her. She scarcely saw her children when she was at home and when they were there. She barely saw her husband. They were busy. They had responsibilities. They had something else. Hermione sighed as she watched the note come floating into her desk. One of the inter office memos and Hermione knew what the note was going to say. When she looked at it, she raised her eyebrow and threw the parchment into her bin. Ron wasn't coming home tonight, again. This was the fourth or fifth course he had been on in three months and Hermione knew that this 'course' included spending time with Lavender Brown in a hotel room.

She had known about her husband's affair with Lavender ever since he had first gone on the course. When he had come home Hermione had found lipstick on his shirt. It was the shocking pink colour that Lavender wore and Hermione was always surprised that Ron kept up the charade of being happily married. Was he doing this to torture her? Or their children? Hermione had wanted several times to tell Ron to not come home, yet she always welcomed him back with a chaste kiss on the cheek. When she had first found the lipstick she had slept on the sofa. Rose and Hugo had come down halfway through the night after waking up from the thunder and lightening, because they couldn't find 'mommy'. Hermione had asked them why they hadn't woken daddy up and they quoted their father, word for word.

"Lavender, I love you!"

Hermione had had to tell the two that Lavender was a pet name their father used for her, but inside Hermione was tearing herself apart. Surely she should be screaming at the top of her lungs, yet she didn't. She had cuddled the two children close and whispered that she loved them, until they fell asleep. That night had been the last night Hermione had loved her husband. She rarely talked to him and she was becoming happier about it. The only thing they talked about now was the children. Yet when they went out as a couple, they acted in love. They acted like they were the same love sick children who got married on a whim. She remembered back to the ball that had happened on Friday and how when she was in a room full of crowded men, Ron was by her side the whole time, not wanting to touch his wife himself, but not allowing anyone else to. She thought back to how Ron's face had been when she had agreed to dance with Malfoy.

She thought about his silver eyes and the experience that lay behind them. She thought about how strong his arms were, what his robes smelled like. She wondered how he made love to his wife. She wondered how much he loved and spoiled his son. She wondered a lot of things about Malfoy that she shouldn't. There had been a connection with him at the ball. She couldn't explain it but it had been there. Ron had yelled at her for dancing with Malfoy but Hermione had tuned him out. What was the point in shouting back? He would play the innocent card and Harry would choose Ron over Hermione again.

_Welcome to the planet _

_Welcome to existence _

_Everyone's here _

_Everyone's here _

Hermione knew that having Ron as a husband and Harry as a best friend was a stupid thing to do. Of course Harry would choose Ron. Ron was his oldest friend, a brother to him. Hermione was like a sister but they had nothing in common. She didn't like Quidditch, he didn't like reading, he thought that S.P.E.W was a complete waste of time. Whereas Ron was like a twin brother, without the similar appearance. They were like Fred and George had been in school. She smiled at the innocent memories she had of them in school. Becoming best friends after defeating Quirrell, riding on the back of Buckbeak, laughing and joking when everything was finally over, all sorts of memories that Hermione missed. She turned back to her work and tried to read the lines but none of it seemed to make sense. She couldn't concentrate and the meeting that was coming wasn't helping.

Draco Malfoy would be in her office, talking to her as if they were friends, instead of common enemies. They had had their differences in the past, surely they could get over that now they were adults. Their children were at school together, they could be civil. She looked at the clock and saw the time. It said five to eleven. He was coming at eleven. She tidied her desk, trying to make it look presentable. Books and parchment were piled all over, even on the chairs, so they would also have to go. She got up and walked round her mahogany desk. She picked up the books on the chair and decided to push them under the sofa at the back of the office. When she bent down, she realized she hadn't chosen the most practical of suits to wear for work today. It was a skirt suit, the shirt flattering and rather clingy, while the pencil skirt hugged her curves. She had thought that morning, that when someone as good looking as Draco Malfoy was going to be in your office, you had to make an effort. She heard a snap and swore. There was a seam in her skirt gone. She kicked off her shoes and lay down as she tried to grab a pen that had fallen from her hand as she had put the books on the floor.

She hadn't notice the door open and Draco Malfoy enter so when she stood up, she jumped. There he was, standing there looking like an Adonis in his wizarding robes and suit, while she looked a mess without any shoes on. His blonde hair fell across his face and into his grey eyes like it had that night she had danced with him. She instinctively wanted to push it out of his eyes, yet she restrained herself. That would be a great impression on him. That she couldn't keep her hands off him. He stood watching her, an eyebrow raised, and Hermione couldn't help but blush. She must have seemed like an imbecile and now she was a blushing imbecile. She bit her bottom lip, and moved around him, to shut the door. People were staring at the pair in the office and Hermione blushed even more. Ron had made it public knowledge that he hadn't forgiven Malfoy but Hermione had chided him for being ridiculous. As she walked around him, she took an intake of breath and smiled. He smelt of soap and aftershave. He smelt delicious. She took a seat behind her desk and gestured for him to sit. Now, all she had to do was open her mouth and say something.

_Everybody's watching you now _

_Everybody waits for you now _

_What happens next? _

_What happens next? _

She looked at him sitting across from her and wondered what it would be like to open her eyes every morning and see those pools of silver staring back at her, to caress his cheek with her hand, to kiss those lips… Hermione silently scolded herself for thinking these thoughts. He was married. The event had been front page of the Daily Prophet but considering Parvati Patil had bought it, the story hadn't surprised Hermione at all. She had read about how Astoria had looked like an angel as she walked down the aisle of the Malfoy's private church, how Draco had looked astonishingly good looking in his tux, how their vows had spoken of their passion and love for one another, how they had danced the night away before being whisked away for a honeymoon to the Caribbean. Hermione had remembered reading that and being sad. It had been the wedding she had wanted when she was with Ron. She wanted the whole big white wedding, which had surprised everyone, however Ron had only wanted a simple thing in the back garden of the Burrow, like Bill's. Hermione's family had offered to pay for the wedding, as tradition said, but Ron had been too proud. It had been rushed and Ron had spent the honeymoon watching Quidditch. She shook her head and looked back at Draco.

Her mouth was dry and she couldn't speak. She didn't know what it was, but he had this affect on her and she knew it would be a few minutes for her to regain her composure. He, however, started talking about work and Hermione was saved from embarrassment. She smiled and nodded, not paying any attention to what he was saying, but just watching the way his mouth moved. His lips were like cushions and Hermione was fascinated by them. Behind his amazing mouth, was a set of dazzling teeth. Hermione had remembered that he had always had a nice set of teeth but when he gave her a smile, she felt butterflies. What was wrong with her? She tried to pay attention to what he was saying but it was hard not to concentrate on the lips that she so longed to kiss.

If Ron was allowed to have an affair, surely so could she. She shifted in her seat, trying to push that thought out of her head. He was now apologizing for his behavior at the Ministry ball the other night and Hermione shook her head too enthusiastically.

"Don't be ridiculous. I was glad to dance with you!" she wanted to say but it had all come out at once and sounded like one long word. She was honestly an imbecile. He laughed and Hermione's attention was focused completely on his lips, wanting that sound to come out again. She was willing it to come out. Desperate. She raised her eyes to his and noticed that he was staring intently at her, a smile playing on his lips. Hermione felt her heart break. It was the most amazing smile she had ever seen. She couldn't help it.

She got up from her seat and moved to the chair next to his and sat down, longing to be closer to him, wanting to touch him. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them, he was closer to her, their faces inches apart. She opened her mouth to say something but he silenced her by brushing his lips on hers.

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor_

Hermione tried to deepen the kiss. She put her hands on his face, pulling him to her, not wanting to let him go. He was there, with her, doing this. He wanted this as much as she did, however his hands got hold of hers and gently prized them away from his face.

"We can't!" he said, softly, before getting up out of his seat and leaving her office. Hermione broke down into tears. She was as bad as Ron. She had cheated on him with Malfoy. She put her head in her hands and let the tears roll down her face. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up to see _him_ standing there. He was there, smiling at her, his metallic eyes boring holes into hers. She felt his thumbs brush the tears off her face and she closed her eyes, trembling at his touch.

Then, completely taken by surprise, his lips found hers and Hermione almost exploded. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she could see in her head, what Ron must feel when he kissed Lavender. She couldn't get enough of this man in front of her, so she pushed her body to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt happiness, safety and love all in this one kiss. When she had kissed Ron for the first time, all she could remember was thinking she was going to die. There had been nothing like this in their first kiss. This was new and this was special.

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_Like today never happened _

_Today never happened before _

He had left again after the kiss, promising to talk to her again soon. Hermione felt as though the rest of the day just floated by but she didn't mind it. She was going back to an empty house and for once, she didn't care that Ron wasn't going to be there. She was extremely happy and she just wanted to sit and think about the kiss. She knew she couldn't tell anyone about it, besides who would believe that she and Malfoy had kissed. She was Hermione Granger Weasley, loyal wife, amazing mother, hard working employee, Muggleborn. He was Malfoy, muggle hating, Slytherin King, ex death eater. She laughed in spite of herself. It seemed impossible. She turned and heard someone talking about Astoria Malfoy, possibly being pregnant again. The thought made Hermione's blood go cold. This was not how she was supposed to feel. When someone asked her whether Malfoy had said anything about another Malfoy heir, she snapped at them, saying the idea was preposterous and that he never mentioned her.

_Welcome to the fallout _

_Welcome to resistance _

_The tension is here _

She had slapped herself for snapping at the gossip and walked into the ladies bathroom, locking the door so no one could get in. She burst into tears and collapsed onto the floor of the bathroom, her brown hair, covering her face while mascara ran in the rivers of tears. All she could think about was Astoria being pregnant, Draco being overjoyed at the thought of being a father again, young Scorpius being a brother. She thought about what it would have been like at Hogwarts if their situations had been different. If she hadn't been a Muggleborn and a Gryffindor and if Draco hadn't been a Pureblood prince and a Slytherin. They could have been together. They could have been friends and not fight in the war. They could have been together now. Scorpius could have been her son, she could have been pregnant with his child. She could wake up every morning and see her handsome husband lying next to her, asking for her to love him one more time.

All those were could have beens, not what it was. She was married to Ron, mother of Rose and Hugo, hard working Ministry official who was in love with an ex death eater Slytherin Prince who had hated her with a passion when they were younger. She couldn't be any of those things for Draco, because he already had them, as did she. She had Ron, he had Astoria. She had Rose and Hugo, he had Scorpius. They were too different, too apart from each other.

_The tension is here _

_Between who you are and who you could be _

_Between how it is and how it should be _

Hermione apparated home, crying. She had almost been found crying in the toilet by Ginny and telling her sister in law that her brother was having an affair and she was in love with another man, was not something Hermione wanted to do. She had just mumbled something to Ginny and ran out of the room, grabbing her coat and leaving as quickly as she could. She wanted to get home, where she could be in peace, to think about what had happened. She couldn't be in love with a man she had hated for seven years. It was impossible.

As soon as she reached the kitchen of their small city home, Hermione grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack and a wine glass from the cupboard. She needed to relax and a good book with some wine would work and get her mind off things. She changed into her jogging bottoms and an oversized sweatshirt and picked up her book off the nightstand. It was a muggle book called 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan. It was about a girl, when she was eight, seeing something happen and then telling an abridged version of it. The story was that of a love story between two people, and how the little girl spent her years growing up, hating herself for the pain she caused these two people. Hermione became emotionally involved in books and occasionally cried at them. This book set Hermione off. She pulled a tissue from the box on the coffee table and wiped her eyes.

There was a knock on the door and Hermione got up to open it. When she opened the door she saw Draco standing there, rain pelting down on top of him. His blonde hair was plastered to his head and Hermione, without thinking, reached out and unstuck it, whilst keeping her eyes locked on his. Then he was inside of her house, her back against the wall and him in front of her, breathing deeply, yet the eye contact was still locked. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours until Hermione pulled his wet shirt towards her and their lips met.

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor _

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_Like today never happened _

_Today never happened _

Hermione woke up to see Draco lying on his side, his silver eyes pouring into hers, a sheet covering his lower body. Hermione turned on her side, propping her head up on her elbow and she smiled at him. This was what she wanted. He pulled her closer to him and she giggled like a school girl. She felt his hot breath on her face and she couldn't help but grin like the Cheshire Cat. What had happened had been perfect, and she couldn't stop thinking about it. Their problems had all just vanished as the two of them had given into their desires and let each other help. There had been no thoughts of Ron in her mind as she spent the night with Draco. Ron was not here. He was with another woman, somewhere, whereas Draco was here, with her, in her bed, smiling at her. She had given into temptation, just like Eve had, yet she didn't care. She didn't want to ask forgiveness for what she had done, because it had felt so right. Whatever she had experienced with Ron was nothing compared to that one night with her soul mate. She knew what she had to do.

_Maybe redemption has stories to tell _

_Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell _

_Where can you run to escape from yourself? _

_Where you gonna go? _

_Where you gonna go? _

_Salvation is here _

She looked deep into his eyes and smiled. He was here again with her, beaming at her, as she lay watching him. He was stood above her, holding her hand and looking almost serene. They were together.

Ron was gone, this time for good. Rose and Hugo had found that Scorpius was infact a nice boy, contrasting to what their father had told them. Hermione watched as the three children looked over at her, smiling. Rose and Hugo, proud of their mother, Scorpius looking at a woman who easily fit the shoes of his mother. Then there was a cry. It was sharp and small but everyone stopped moving for a moment. Draco took charge and went to where the cry had emanated from. He brought Aurora to her and placed her in Hermione's arms. Hermione looked down at her new daughter and grinned. She already had the blonde hair her father and brother had, whereas she shared the same eye colour as Hermione, Rose and Hugo. Together they made a perfect family.

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor _

_I dare you to move _

_I dare you to move _

_Like today never happened _

_Today never happened _

_Today never happened _

_Today never happened before_

Hey everybody, I would just like to say that I dont really like the ending for this as it seems rather rushed but whatever. Will you please review and let me know what you think. Thanks Kate xxx


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